Mary Virginia Jones Released From Prison After 32 Years For A Crime She Didn’t Commit

Overjoyed family members greeted 74-year-old Mary Virginia Jones when she stepped out of the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California at 11 pm, Monday, the Los Angeles Times
reported. The last time she was out as a free woman was when Ronald
Reagan had just taken oath as the President of the United States. The
innocent grandma had spent 32 years of her life in prison for a murder
she didn’t commit.

Virginia had been serving a life sentence at the Lynwood facility for
her alleged role in a murder committed by her boyfriend Mose Willis
back in 1981. Mose, who was sentenced to death died while on death row.
Virginia on the other hand was convicted of first-degree murder and
sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

It was cries of ‘Thank you Jesus!’ and ‘Hallelujah’ that greeted people assembled at the Los Angeles courtroom where Judge William C. Ryan finally pronounced Virginia to be freed, the Daily Times
reports. The family that included Virginia’s daughter Denitra
Jones-Goodie, couldn’t control their emotions and sobbed. Denitra later
told reporters she had lost all hopes of seeing Mary as a free woman who
had been in the past subjected through four separate trials, one
reversal of appeal and two hung juries. “She never should have been
incarcerated in the first place, but she’s free, thank God,”
Jones-Goodie said.

Virginia Mary Jones during her hearing

Earlier, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office reviewed the case
and agreed to set aside her convictions if she pled no contest to
voluntary manslaughter. Virginia, using a magnifying glass to read her
plea in the courtroom said, “I did not willingly participate in this
crime, but I believe entering a no contest plea is in my best interest.”

The crime leading to Virginia’s arrest and the subsequent sentencing
happened back in 1981 when Jones’ abusive boyfriend kidnapped two drug
dealers and forced Jones to drive to an alley. He killed one of the
dealers there while Virginia, who feared for her own life escaped from
there – only to be arrested days later for the “crime” she had
committed. All through her trial, Virginia maintained that Willis had
forced her to do things at gunpoint. None of the subsequent trials took
into account the fact that she has a history as a battered victim –
directing attorney, Heidi Rummel, of the told reporters. It also took
four excruciatingly long trials for the jury to reach her conviction.

A young Virginia Mary Jones from a portrait provided by her family

If Mary has anybody to be thankful to, it has to be the students from
UCLA’s Post-Conviction Justice Project who challenged Virginia’s
conviction. Their argument in favor of Mary was the fact that the jury
that convicted her never heard testimony on the effects of what was then
known as Battered Women’s Syndrome. Had they done so, Virginia would
have never been convicted. UCLA Student Laura Donaldson told reporters,
“the procedural history of Mary’s case gave me a greater appreciation
for the pitfalls of the justice system.”

Denitra Jones-Goodie with the law students of UCLA who strived to facilitate Virginia’s freedom

Do you think Mary Virginia Jones was wronged by the justice system of
the United States who had in the past also had the case of Glenn Ford, a death row inmate who was exonerated after spending 30 years in prison?

Earlier, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office reviewed the case
and agreed to set aside her convictions if she pled no contest to
voluntary manslaughter. Virginia, using a magnifying glass to read her
plea in the courtroom said, “I did not willingly participate in this
crime, but I believe entering a no contest plea is in my best interest.”

Earlier, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office reviewed the case
and agreed to set aside her convictions if she pled no contest to
voluntary manslaughter. Virginia, using a magnifying glass to read her
plea in the courtroom said, “I did not willingly participate in this
crime, but I believe entering a no contest plea is in my best interest.”

they had her plea no contest so that she couldnt sue the state.

Salt in her wounds.

This woman needs proper compensation for the hell she has been put through.

She's so old. That's a huge chunk of her life- gone! Over a crime she never committed.

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